Check-writing fountain pen



July 24, 1923- I M. M. LANG CHECK WRITING FOUNTAIN PEN' Filed Aug. 29, i921 ///////lllll/ll/ll/ll './l V1 u .'BY I" A 0 EYS.

Patented July 24, 1923.

STE-ES lhdtt MARTIN M. LANG, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CHECK-WRITING FOUNTAIN PEN.

Application filed August 29, 1921. Serial No. 496,217.

To all whom t may conce/ra.'

Be it known that l, lilARTiN M. LANG, a citizen and subject of Czechoslovakia (but having taken out his second papers with the intention of becoming a citizen of the United States), residing at New York city, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of N ew York, have invented a certain new and useful Checlnl/Vriting Fountain Fen, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fountain pens, and is especially directed to a fountain pen adapted for use in the writing of checks in such manner as to eiiectually protect them against erasure or change. W'hile the pen of this invention is` especially intended for this use, it may be used for other purposes, such, for example, as the making of accurate cop ies and for other uses.

The pen of t-he present invention embodies a writing point associated with which is a plurality of cutting or perforatingr points or edges, which, as the writing operation proceeds, are alternately brought into engagement with and removed from contact with the paper on which the writing operation is being; performed.

These perforating points or edges are inked and the writing point is also inked, so that as the person employs the writing,` point, to eifect a writing operation, the perforatingpoints or edges simultaneously operate to carry out an additional writing operation, which takes the form of inked perforations or knife cuts. The result of this operation is that the paper on which the .writing occurs receives the markings of the writing point and also the inked perforations while, if desired, a second paper positioned below the first, will receive the cuts or perforations of the perforating points after they have passed through the rs't sheet, but not the markings of the writing point, which is not normally intended to pass through the first sheet.`

The pen of the present invention is manipulated in a conventional way and the protective mechanism associated therewith is entirely automatic in its operation. It is compact and does not unduly encuinber the pen nor render the same unsightly or bulky.

Features of the invention, other than those specified, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and claims, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate" one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction therein shown, is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as deiining` the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a central section of a pen embodying the present invention.

F ig'ure 2 is a side elevation of the complete pen.

Figure 3 shows one end of the pen with the protecting cap removed; and,

Figure a is an enlarged detail section `of a part of the construction shown in F igure 1.

Referring' to the drawings, 5 designates an ink barrel or container adapted to form a reservoir for the ink supply to the writingv point In practice, this ink barrel may be that of a conventional fountain pen and may be provided at one end with the usual fountain pen nib, the present invention being associated with the other end of the barrel. It

Depending from the plug- 7 is a rigid rod I 9, the lower end of which is designated 9a and constitutes the writing` point. This rod is straight and mounted for longitudinal reciprocation thereon is a vibrator 10. This vibrator is in the form of a casing having a hollow interior and iS ,guided at its top and bottom for reciprocation on the rod 9. Such movement is imparted 'to the vibrator by a link 11, the lower end of which is pivoted to the upper part of the vibrator and the upper end of which is pivoted to the long arm of the lever 12 fulcrumed at 13. The other arm of the lever 12 is pivoted to a rod'14, the lower end of which is adapted to be maintained by a compression spring'l in engagement with the surface of a spherical ball 16. This spherical ball is mounted for rotation in a cup 17, which is rigid with a bracket 18. This bracket extends upwardly l adjusting screw 'viding a bearing for the adjusting screw v28 by a key 34, h *turns with the adjusting screw.

toa screw plug 19 threaded into an orifice 20 in the base of the plug 7, and is provided above the plug 19 with a seat 21. The bracket 18 may conventionally be made circular in cross section and when so constructed, it is provided with feathers 22 which pass through the screw plug 19 in such manner as to permit vertical adjustment of the bracket 18, but to preclude rotation of said bracket within the plug 19. The bracket 18 may conveniently be formed with a lug 23 prorod 14,. as clearly shown in Figure 1.

The spring 24 is coiled about the bracket 18, below its head 21 and above the screw .plug 19 and normally tends to elevate the bracket, which tendency is opposed by a wedge 25 mounted for longitudinal adjustment radially of the plug 7 and adapted to cooperate with a transverse slot 26 in the hea-d 21. vThe wedge 25 is cut out at its after end to receive the ball shaped end 27 of an 28 threaded through a screw and this threaded connection is prefa double or triple thread, so that angular adjustment of the 28 will effect a pronounced longitudinal travel 0f the screw, and a correspondingly pronounced degree of travel of the wedge 25.

Positioned on the exterior of the plug 7 is a dial 30 immediately exterior of which is a locking plate 31 provided with turned down edges having projecting points adapted to normally engage with small apertures formed in the dial 30. A spring 32 is posi- `tioned between the locking plate 31 and a hea-d 3B of the adjusting screw and normally serves t0 force the projections of the locking plate into the holes of the dial. periphery of the dial may be graduated and the locking plate may have thereon a reading pointer, so that the proper adjustment may be had. 1n order that correct readings may be obtained, the locking plate 31 is preferably secured to the adjusting screw so that the locking plate plug 29 erably relatively small When it is desired to operate the adjusting screw, the locking plate is manually retracted against the tension of the spring 32, whereupon the screw may be rotated to advance or retract the wedge 24 and permit the raisingl or lowering of the bracket 18 and the ball .16 carried thereby. The reason for this adjustment is to regulate the throw of the vibrator 10` for reasons hereinafter manifest.

The ball 16 functions as a prime mover for the vibrator and to this end, the surface of theball is provided with small and relatively shallow indentations throughout its surface, so that when the ball is turned, the lower end ofthe rod 14 will alternately ride into and out of these depressions and in so The outer l doing will be reciproc-ated for the purpose of reciprocating the vibrator 1() through the lever `12 and link 11. Y

It will be noted that the arms of the lever 12 are of unequal length, so that the reciprocations of the rod 14 may be enlarged or amplified during their transmission to the vibrator 10.

The parts are so relatively positioned that if the writing part 9a is caused to traverse a surface to be writ-ten upon, the ball 1G will also engage with said surface and will roll over the same during the writing operation. The lower end of the vibrator is reduced and extends downwardly about the rod 9 and its lower edge is sharpened to form a knife edge 35. This knife edge is preferably serrated, so as to produce perforating points which, during the operation of the device,

are alternately brought, `through reciprocation of the vibrator 10 into and out of engagement with the paper on which the writing is being carried out so that said points will perforate the paper.

lnk is supplied to the writing point 9a and to the perforating points or knives 35 by means of a tube or duct 36, which extends through the plug 7, downwardly from the lower edge thereof, through the top of the vibrator 10 and through a collar or disc 37 positioned within the vibrator and fixed on the rod 9.

Secured to the disc 37 is one end of a spring 38,- the other end ofwhich is secured to an inking pad 89. The ink, flowing by gravity from the reservoir is dscharged from the lower end of the duct 36 anddrips on the pad 29. Y As the vibrator is elevated it presses against the under side of the ink pad and squeezes ink out of the same, so that such ink may run down around the rod 9, writing` point 9a and simultaneously pass through small channels 40 and 41. These channels 40 and 41 are bored through vthe bottom of the vibrator. The channels 40 lead the ink downwardly between the rod 9 and the perforating points 35, while the channels 41 lead the ink downwardly over the outer faces of the perforating points 35. It will thus appear that the inking point. as well as the perforating points are simultaneously inked, each time the vibrator is operated, so that they are practically con-` ion It will be apparent that through the adjustment of the wedge 25, the throw of the vibrator may be so regulated that the perforationsmade in the paper will extend `just through the paper and not be on the lower face thereof, though, in practice, it is feasible to so adjust the wedge that the perforations will be cut deeper and through one or more sheets of paper laid beneath the paper on which the writing is being carried out. In this way, accurate copies may be obtained of the original, though, in the copies, the lines produced by the writing Doint 9Il on the original will not appear. hrough the manipulation ofthe wedge, the depth of cut may be adjusted, so that any number of copies may be made in the manner described. Y Y

When the mechanism is not in use, it may be enclosed within a suitable protecting cap 42, as shown in Figure 2 and the closed end of this cap is reduced as at 43, so as to receive the conventional protecting cap 44, which normally serves to enclose the conventional writing point at the other end of the barrel.

The barrel 5 may be of self filling variety or the plug of filling of the pen, but, for convenience, I preferably make the pen self filling. To this end, a piston 45 is operable interiorly of the barrel 5 and normally partalres of the position shown in Figure l, so as to allow ink to flow around the outer edge of the piston and supply the duct 36. A tubular rod 46 extends through the center of the plug 7 and through the center of the piston 45 and the inner end of this tube has an enlarged closed head 47. Interiorly of the head 47, which is hollow, is a bowed leaf spring 49, the opposite ends of which are provided with plungers 49. The spring 48 is secured to the head 47 by a rivet 50 and the tension of the spring normally draws the plungers 49 toward one another. Positioned within the bow of the spring 48 is a wedge 51 t0 which is secured a rod 52, which passes longitudinally through the tube 46 and is provided beyond the end of the same with a knob When it is desired to iill the pen, the parts are brought into the position shown in Figure `l and thereupon the knob 53 is grasped and tension applied thereto, so as to force the wedge to expand the arms of the spring 48 and project the plungers 49 into an annular groove 54 in the piston 45. This having been accomplished, the wedge 51 is maintained in this position and the tube 46 is forced longitudinally so that the piston 45 will be forced to the opposite end of the ink reservoir for the purpose of exhausting the air therefrom. The conventional end of the pen is next dipped into an ink well, whereupon the tube 46 is retracted, and

7 may be removed to permit.

draws the piston 45 with it, thereby producing a partial vacuum in the reservoir into whichthe ink from the ink well flows. vWhen the piston 45 has been fully retracted to the position of Figure l, the knob 53 70 is released and pushed in to retract the wedge 5l and allow the plungers 49 to withdraw from the channel 54. This having been accomplished, the tube 46 and rod 52 are pushed all the way in by means of a as embodying an adjustable bracket 18and 35 sell filling means. I wish it understood however that a very satisfactory pen results if the bracket is made rigid, i. e., without adjustment, and the self filling means omitted. j larly directed to means associated with the writing point and brought into operation automatically by the act of writing to perforate the paper on which the writing is being carried on. r perforations be inked, though the present invention is not restricted to this feature. I am aware that various modifications in structural detail, such as the substitution of equivalents, from the spirit or scope of this invention which is as broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by x05 Letters Patent is:

1. A device of' the class described embodying a writing point, perforating means associated with the writing point, and means adapted to roll over the for operating the perforating means to effeet the perforation of the paper while the writing operation is being carried out.

2. A device of the class described embodying a writing point, perforating means m5 associated therewith, and means operable by the travel of the point over the surface of the lpaper for alternately bringing the perforating means into and out of engagement with the-paper.

3. A device of the class described embodying a writing point, a vibrating member associated with the writing point and provided with perforating members, a prime mover adapted to be rolled over the paper l during the movement of the writing point over the paper, and connections between the prime mover and the vibrator, whereby the movement of the writing point over the surface of the paper is accompanied by the 130 be out of the way,

The present invention is particu- It is preferred that the may be made without departing surface of the paper M0 4rolling` of the prime mover over the surface of thev paper and the-consequent operation of thevbrator to efect a perforation of the paper.

a. A device of the class described embodying a Writing point, a vibrator guided for reciprocation on the Writing point and provided with perforating members, means for of the ball and adapted to be reciprocated when the ball rotates, and operative connections between the rod land the vibrator to render the vibrator responsive to the recipv rocations of the rod, whereby the passing of the Writing point over the surface of the paper is accompanied by reciprocation of the vibrator and the perforation of thev paper 4by the perforating members.

5. Adevice of the class describedl embodying a Writing point, a vibrator guided for reciprocation on the Writing point and provided With perforating members, means for supplying ink to the/Writing point andthe perforating members, a ball, providedvvith surface depressions, adapted to roll over the surface of the paper, While the Writing point is, traversing said surface, means forl supporting saidy ball for simple rotation, an operating rod engaging With the surface of the ball and adapted to be vreciprocated when the ball rotates, operative connections between the rod and the vibrator to render 4the vibrator responsive to the reciprocations of the rod, whereby the passing ,of the Writing point over the surface of the paper is accompanied by reciprocation of the vibrator and the perforation of the paper by 1 the perforating members, and means for varying the throw of the vibrator to regulate the depth of the perforations. y

G. A device of the class described embodying an ink reservoir, a perforating device mounted for reciprocation and adapted to be supplied with ink from the reservoir, and means adapted toroll over the surface of the paper .to cause reciprocation of the perforating device. v

In testimony whereof I have signed the foregoing specification.

MARTIN M LANG. 

